Life with three kids

[LilaAndLenuccia]

So what's it really like..?? Trying to weigh up the pros and cons so looking for some honest truths!

Fun. A gang, always something going on.

I didn't find two to three particularly difficult. It was the first one that was a shock.

It is more expensive but for us not in the early years when you can just hand clothes on and do free stuff together.

Out Numbered.

Yup, out numbered but also as beatrice points out there's always something going on. You can still have a normal size car if you want. I really enjoyed 3

Probably not the best moment for me to be answering this, but I think the highs are very high - and the lows very low. Every good thing about having two is made a million times better and every bad thing a million times worse. Speaking as someone whose DH travels a lot on business and is currently at home alone for long stretches with a 5 yr-old, 3 yr-old and a - perpetually ill - 20 month old, I'm in the hard bit right now. I wouldn't change anything but geez, those lows are low sometimes.

If you like a little chaos then go for it. I found it easy when they were little. Less easy when they are teens.

I agree with thick, the younger years are a breeze it's as they get older. 3x homework 3x extra activities and as they get older it's harder to do activities that suit them all. My eldest dd is 13 dd3 is 7

Can't remember that far back!!
Got 11 now!!

We're hitting the teen years with three. Gosh it's expensive. Holidays especially - you need an extra room. Offers are always for a family of 4. And an extra room in your house if you don't want them to share. School trips, music lessons. Accommodation at university…
Also 6 years between oldest and youngest makes it tricky to find things everyone wants to do.
And someone is always wanting me for something, all the time.
But they are very lovely. I wouldn't send any of them back
I think the thing that scuppered us was the youngest having additional needs. That I didn't plan for!

expensive!
activities and holidays which suit all are hard to find unless they are close in age. you could end up with more than one at uni at the same time. VV expensive.
We had two close together, then a big gap so it feels more like 2 and 1.

Agree - holidays come in 2+2 same for most food packages and buy one get one free tickets - hotels offer free breakfast for each paying adult - for example

Only one 'friend' can fit in the car for a play date/tea so you end up with 3 x play dates

Nobody will have all three to play but happily send their 2

There's always fights and clubs are oftern younger 4/5 older 5/6 so each one takes 2 hours

Swimming - impossible with 3 until the eldest is 8 and can't swim because you couldn't take them

Hotels etc are aimed at 4 mainly

They all have different needs at different times

I agree the highs are brilliant, when all 3 of them are playing together and having fub, its literally magic. Warm glow time and counting my lucky stars. But agree thd lows are awful - for us its the bickering. 2 children you have 1 lot of bickering. With 3, you have 3 lots of bickering between pairs, and 1 lot of bickering between 3. So 4 potential lots of bickering!! To be fair, its quite rare but when they're falling out about whose turn it is to sit in the middle at 8am (obviously a life & death situation - not!!) its hard work.

Ours are 11, 11 and 7 now. Holidays are expensive and we've had an extension on the house for an extra bedroom. There is always a birthday party at the weekend and I darent add up the cost of activities / school lunches / phones etc (just the older ones). Finding time to support homework / reading / just chatting 1 on 1 is hard.

But as I always say, Number 3 (warning, cheesy line coming up..) completed our family. I just wasn't done at 2 and she's given me a sense of 'yes, this is how it was meant to be' and I wouldn't change it for the world most days

Yep, it's hard work. I sometimes envy my friends with just one or two children for their relatively uncomplicated lives, but of course I love them all immeasurably, and wouldn't send any of them back.
My youngest (2) is possibly the most unreasonable person I've even met. That whole 'the third one will go a long with the flow, because they have to' idea flew straight out of the window when he was born, and he continues to make life as difficult as possible as much as he can. I'm hoping things will get easier as he gets a bit older, but then we'll be into teenage years with our oldest.
It's like parenting any amount of children really, the bad times are awful and the good times are great, and the middle bits are OK too!

Depends a bit on your lifestyle.

We don't go to hotels or do big ticket days out so those things aren't an issue.

You can save a bit of money cos your kids usually have someone to play with so you don't have to entertain them as much.

Gosh forgotten the most important 'who had last....' toy in cereal /front seat / held the dog / had a friend over / who's turn to sit next to you etc

My 3 do get invited out by families with 2 or 3.

And you don't need to do 3x play dates. You can have one extra child and the other two can play together.

Three under five was busy and I don't know what 3 teens will be like yet the rest of it had been great and I honestly don't see our lives as busier or more stressy than friends with two.